Shaving device



Mrdl 4, 1941. .M. ANDIS SHAVING DEVICE Filed April 7, 1933 v I 3/ 2aaaw' g' 2/4 3/ INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHAVINGDEVICE Mathew Andis, Racine, Wis.

Application April 7, 1938, Serial No. 200,566

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shaving devices.

The invention relates more particularly to shaving devices of the typehaving a reciprocating cutter, driven by an electric motor or othersuitable means and movable beneath a slotted face engaging part or fixedblade, whereby the device may be used without soap or other beardsoftening agent to greatly facilitate the shaving operation.

In devices of this type the shaving is accomplished by a shearing actionbetween the fixed blade and reciprocably movable cutter, and efliciencyof operation is dependent, among other things, upon a close contactbetween said members during operation. Heretofore various arrangementshave been proposed for yieldingly urging the cutter into contact withthe fixed blade. sulted in friction between the yielding means andcutter with objectionable wear upon the parts and noise duringoperation.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a shaving deviceas above described, wherein novel means is utilized for applying afloating tension to the lower surface of the cutter, and wherein slidingfrictional contact between the lower surface of the cutter and theyielding means is eliminated.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide in a device asabove described having supporting means and having a. cutter spacedtherefrom, coil springs mounted between said supporting means and thelower surface of the cutter, said springs being anchored at their lowerends to the supporting means and at their upper ends to the cutter andbeing adapted to flex laterally to permit reciprocation of the cutterwhile yieldingly urging said cutter into close contact with the fixedblade during such reciprocation.

A still more specific object of the invention is to provide a structureas above described, wherein the fixed blade is carried by supportingposts which extend through openings in the cutter, said openings beingof such size with respect to the diameter of the posts as topermit'reciprocation of the cutter, and there being coil springssurrounding said posts which are substantially the same diameter as theopenings in the cutter whereby said springs may flex while the cutter ismoving, without contacting said posts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shaving device asabove described wherein thecutter is guided in its movement by the fixedblade and the depending flanges thereof.

These prior methods, however, have re- A still further object is-toprovide a shaving device having supporting posts for the fixed bladewherein said posts have lower ends molded into the material forming theshaver handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a device as abovedescribed having a reciprocably movable cutter, a guard member carriedby and movable with said cutter shaped to prevent cut hair from enteringthe end of the handle.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of theimproved shaving device and all its parts and combinations as set forthin the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating one complete embodiment of thepreferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numeralsdesignate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the headshowing it attached to a portion of the handle;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, parts beingbroken away and shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of part of the structure shown inFig. 1, showing the spring laterally flexed during movement of thecutter; and t Fig. 4 is a plan view of the hair guard.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the shaver handle isdesignated by the numeral 5 and may be formed of any suitable materialsuch as Bakelite, and the handle may comprise two complementarylongitudinal sections. The assembled handle has its outer end providedwith a recess 6, and below said recess are shoulders 1 formed withbosses 8, or equivalent means, for cooperation with the lower ends ofcoil springs 9. Between the shoulders l is a central opening l0 throughwhich the end ll of an actuating member projects. The actuating membermay be of any desired type, but as shown is pivoted to the handlestructure at I 2 and has-an end l3 which is operated by an electricmotor in any well known manner. 7

The cutter or reciprocable blade [4 is preferably U-shaped in crosssection, as shown in Fig. 2, and has outwardly directed flanges l5 whichare slotted as at IE to form a plurality of cutting teeth, the slotscommunicating with the outer edges of the flanges l5. The cutter flangesl5 have teeth thereon formed substantially as shown in Fig. '7 ofco-pending application Serial No. 124,416 filed February 6, 1937. Thebottom portion of the cutter is formed with a central opening l1 withinwhich a ring I8 is inserted,

and the outer end of the actuating arm H is received within the ring l8to impart reclprocating movement to the cutter. The cutter is alsdformed on each side of the central opening 11 with openings I9, therebeing annular bosses I 20 depending from said openings as shown in Figl,for cooperation with the upper ends of the coil springs 9. Any othersuitable means for anchoring the upper ends of the springs to the lowersurface of the cutter around the openings l9 may be employed.

A guard member 2| (see Fig. 4) having downwardly bent edge-portions 22,is positioned adjacent the lower side of the cutter, and said guard hasopenings 23 which register with the openings 19 of the cutter and anopening 24 which fits around the ring l8 of the cutter. The upper endsof the springs 9 will serve to hold the guard in position as shown inFig. 1. By referring to Fig. 2, it is apparent that the downwardlyflanged edges 22 of the guard serve to direct cut hair away from the endof the handle and to the exterior.

Supporting posts 25 have their lower ends molded in the shoulders 1 ofthe handle with the posts projecting from said shoulders substantiallycentrally of the bosses 8. The outer ends of the posts extend throughthe openings l9 in the cutter and serve as supports for the fixed bladeor face engaging member 26; The fixed blade is preferably formed with asubstantially fiat upper surface and is provided with down-' wardlyprojecting flanges 21 on 'each edge. Each edge of the fixed blade isslotted as at 28, and said slots extend down into the flanges 21 as at28' (Fig. 1) and terminate short of the lower edges of the flanges.

The center of the fixed blade has a depending ortion 29 to increase thethickness of the blade at the center. and the slots 28 terminateadiacent the edges of said thickened portion. The material of the fixedblade at each side of the thickened portion. wherein the slots arelocated, is of extreme thinness, but is, nevertheless of sufiicient rigd ty to su port itself against flexing. Screws 30 which have their headscountersunk into the thickened portion of the fixed blade may beemployed to secure the fixed blade to the upper ends of the supportingposts 25.

The fixed blade ma have its end'edges formed with a rounded ridge as at8|, for the purpose of preventing injury to the face from contact withthe edges and comers of the fixed blade.

The diameter of the supporting posts 25 is I substantially less than thediameter of the openwhatsoever betweenthe posts and the cutter,

I and said posts serve solely to support the fixed blade. The coilsprings 9 are of substantially greater diameter than the supportingposts 25 and are preferably of just slightly greater diameter than theopenings l9 to fit around the depending flanges 20 and to preventcontact between any portion of the springs and the posts during flexingof the springs, said flexing being shown in Fig. 3.

The toothed portions l6 of the cutter reciprocate beneath the slots 28of the fixed blade in downwardly opening channels 82, which channels areformed between the flanges 21 of the fixed blade, and the inclined edges33 of the .2,2ss,44c

depending thickened portion of the fixed blade.

The fit of the cutter within said channels is such. that the cutter isguldedin the channels'during' its reciprocal movement as shown in Fig.2.

Itis apparent from the above, that the springs 9 are so arranged aroundthe supporting posts 25 as not to interfere therewith, and said springsconstantly exert tension upon the cutter to keep the cutter teeth inclose contact with the-teeth of the fixed blade during operation. Byhaving the springs of substantially larger diameter than the supportingposts 25 and by having the openings l9 in the cutter of larger diameterthan the supporting posts, flexing of the springs in the manner shown inFig. 3 is permitted. Thus these springs constantly exert floatingtension upon the cutter without being in sliding frictional contact withany part of the'device,-and furthermore the concentric arrangement ofthe springs and supporting posts results in a compact shaving headconstruction.

It is to be noted that the fixed blade has the major portion of its areaformed of relatively thick metal as at 29 and has a substantially flatouter surface, opposite longitudinal edges of the blade being very thinas at 28 for a limited distance inwardly from the edges, and said edgesbeing provided with downwardly extending fianges 21. Thus these thinportions 28 are supported against flexing by the-thickened centralportion 29 and are further reenforced by the downwardly extendingflanges 21. The slots 28 terminate short of meeting and preferably atthe beginning of the thickened portion, and the outer ends of the slotsterminate short of the lower edges of the flanges 21.. This structure ofa thickened central portion 29 in combination with flanges-21 formsdownwardly opening flanges 32 for cooperation with a U-shaped cutterandfor guiding the latter, and the construction is still such that thefixed blade has a substantially fiat surface-from one shaving edge tothe other.

Although only one. form of the invention has been shown and described,it is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes arecontemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a shaving device, a supporting structure,

the slots of the fixedblade and positioned below the latter, said cutterhaving apertures therein through which the supporting posts extend, andsaid apertures being of such size with respect to the thickness of theposts as to permit saidcutter to reciprocate, and coil springssurrounding the posts and connected at one end to the supportingstructure and at the other end to the cutter for applyingtension to thecutter, said springs being of such diameter with respect to the posts asto flex laterally during reciprocation of the cutter withoutinterference from said posts.

2. In a shaving device, a supporting structure, posts extending fromsaid supporting structure, a slotted fixed blade supported by the outerends of said posts, acutter slotted to cooperate with the slots of thefixed blade and positioned below the latter, said cutter havingapertures therein through which the supporting posts extend, and saidapertures being of such size with respect to the thickness of the postsas to permit said cutter to reciprocate, bosses depending from thecutter around said apertures, and coil springs surrounding said postsand connected at one end to r the supporting structure and at the otherend fitting around said bosses of the cutter, said springs being of suchdiameter with respect to the posts as to flex laterally duringreciprocation of the cutter without interference from the posts.

3. In a shaving device, a shaving handle having a recessed end,shoulders projecting inwardly within said recess, posts having lowerends secured to said shoulders and projecting exteriorly of the handle,a slotted fixed blade supported by the outer ends of said posts, acutter slotted to cooperate with the slots of the fixed blade andpositioned below the latter, said cutter having apertures thereinthrough which the supporting posts extend and said apertures being ofsuch size with respect to the thickness of the posts as to permit saidcutter to reciprocate, and coil springs 29 surrounding the posts andconnected at one end to the shoulders within the recess of the handleand at the other end to the cutter for applying tension to thecutter,said springs being of such diameter with respect to the posts as to flexlaterally during reciprocation of the cutter without interference fromthe posts, said springs being substantially confined within the recessedend of the handle.

4. In a shaving device, a shaving handle, a slotted fixed blade carriedby said handle exteriorly of an end thereof, a. cutter reciprocallymovable between said fixed blade and the end of the handle and havingslots cooperable with the slots of the fixed blade, and a. separatelyformed guard plate secured to the cutter and movable therewith, saidplate having inwardly bent edges projecting beyond the sides of the endof the handle to deflect cut hair away from the end of the handle,

MATHEW ANDIS.

